Founded in 2021 in partnership with The Hg Foundation, upReach's Tech500 programme helps talented undergraduates from low-income backgrounds – all with household incomes of less than £42,620 – secure graduate roles in the technology sector.

The programme was established in response to research consistently showing that the UK tech workforce does not reflect the wider population, with those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and state schools significantly underrepresented.

upReach takes a uniquely personalised approach to tackling these class barriers: every student on their programmes receives a dedicated full-time Programme Coordinator who guides them personally through the entirety of their undergraduate degree. Rather than navigating an array of disconnected services, students are supported by a single named professional who provides coaching and coordinates their access to mentoring, application support, employer insight events and skills-boosting bootcamps – helping them make the most of each intervention at every stage.

With a third grant from the Foundation, the Tech500 programme is responding at a time when the growth of AI is significantly reshaping the UK tech labour market and graduate hiring. The programme is continuing to serve undergraduates from lower income households, sharpening its focus on Computer Science and STEM students, embedding stronger employer feedback loops to stay attuned to evolving hiring trends, and equipping students with the blend of technical and human skills increasingly valued in an AI-augmented workplace.

As well as funding this programme of support, The Hg Foundation has also proudly supported upReach to grow its capacity and partnership work by funding an independent evaluation of impact, to understand whether upReach’s activities influence graduate employment outcomes.

 In 2025/2026, using national Higher Education data, NatCen benchmarked Tech500 Associates against carefully matched peers, controlling for socio-economic background, educational attainment and demographics. The results were compelling: Tech500 Associates consistently outperformed comparable peers across a range of employment measures - experiencing a 65% higher likelihood of securing highly skilled, full-time employment and an 80% higher likelihood of earning above the UK median graduate salary.